Having three little ones (not twins or triplets)...

Its funny because I have had several people ask me how it is with three kids, in the last two weeks. I thought I ought to make a blog post on the subject.

Note that my kids are 5, almost 3, and 9 months. The below details what I have found to be true with my own kids.

Okay so here goes, no holding back:

Three kids is immeasurably harder than two! You have your first baby and you think its hard until you have your second and you realize that NOW its hard. Then just when you think you have it all figured out you have your third and suddenly life as you know it ends.

With two you at least have two hands to hold each with, with three your arms are already full with the baby so you just hope and pray that the first two will listen to you and for the love of life hold onto your pockets and not let go when you cross the street!

Of course if your kids are older than mine were when your baby is born it is possible that that could make things easier. A five year old is probably capable of getting you things if you are stuck on the couch nursing the baby, or realize too late that you need a wipe after you've already taken off baby's poopy diaper and are stuck holding legs and arms out of the mess and cannot reach a wipe. A three year old would probably want to be a little mama/papa and try to nurse (yep my sons did try to nurse my baby) and cuddle with baby, possibly keeping them from trying to act like a baby themself (my 2 yo still acted like a baby he would start blah blah blahing and whaaa whaaa whaaaing, and still does). A five year old is probably old enough to carry your diaper bag when you forget to grab it before picking up the baby in the car seat. And a three year old can probably put baby's pacifier in baby's mouth when it falls out while you are driving and can't do a thing about it.

So maybe having three will just give the older two something to do and you'll just have to referee ;D But then again I could be wrong. There could be more than just the helpfulness....

They could resent the baby for taking all your time and energy. They could gather around you telling you to put down the baby and play with THEM! They could show no mercy for the lack of sleep you've gotten and come bouncing wide awake into your room to wake you up. They may entertain themselves when they are bored by teasing the baby, giving baby choking hazards, carry baby around the house dropping him/her along the way. They could wake baby up from a much needed nap, taking away your much needed break.

At some point you may go stark raving mad and decide you are leaving and never coming back only to change your mind when you think, "but if I'm gone who will feed the baby?"

Yes, I will admit that this has happened to me a few times.

And don't even get me started on how much harder it gets when you get sick and still have to tend to three children rather than stay in bed all day trying to get better. Of course you can't really do that anyway if you have kids, but you can't ask a baby to just watch some TV so you can rest.

So that in a nutshell, is what its like to have three little ones (not twins or triplets I am certain that would be much harder) Still, having 3 is so so so so hard, but I don't regret it for a second, I love each of my children and can't imagine life without them. They are each unique and precious in their own way. They each love each other and are each a strength to one another. This is as much true of two as it is three and four and five.......